UC Online Staff Innovating Higher Ed: Professional Development Through UPCEA

For Katelyn Eisenmann, UC Online’s Assistant Director of Student Recruitment, pursuing opportunities for professional development and connecting with other higher education professionals is crucial to her role. “We aren’t quite admissions, we don’t directly make sales, we aren’t advising,” Katelyn explains, “but we do draw best practices and share responsibilities with all three of these areas.”

The high-impact nature of her job has led her to constantly seek out new avenues for professional growth. One of the biggest ways she’s done this is through her involvement with UPCEA, an organization with which Julie Thalman, Vice Provost of UC Online, also has an extensive history. We spoke with both Julie and Katelyn about their involvement with UPCEA, what they’ve gained through their experience, and how other UC Online employees can take advantage of these opportunities.

What is UPCEA?

Dedicated to connecting and empowering higher education professionals, UPCEA is the premier professional association for the online and continuing education sphere.

UPCEA stands out for its commitment to individuals at every stage of their career, from their first role in higher education to the senior level. The association hosts a robust annual conference during which over 3000 higher ed professionals connect, share ideas, and engage in meaningful collaboration.

Along with regional conferences, UPCEA also offers networking opportunities through regular webinars, an online discussion forum, and UPLIFT, a mentorship program started in 2022.

UPLIFT: Collaboration and Continuous Growth

For both Julie and Katelyn, UPLIFT has been a major highlight of their UPCEA experience. It has provided them with invaluable lessons in leadership, institutional models that differ from UC Online, and what it means to be part of something bigger than a department or university.

Katelyn’s UPLIFT mentor is an Associate Director of Online Strategy at a public university on the East Coast. Their online structure is completely different from UC Online’s—and that’s what has made the opportunity so impactful for Katelyn. “My mentor has been in higher ed a lot longer than I have,” she explains. “She has a really nuanced perspective on what online strategy can look like.” By learning from an experienced leader at a vastly different institution, Katelyn has gained immeasurable insights and been able to offer successful strategies of her own in return.

With UC Online being Katelyn’s first time working in higher education, she was also excited to be matched with a more seasoned mentor. This also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and broaden her understanding of higher education as a whole. “My higher ed experience has really been entrenched in the online space,” Katelyn says, “so it was really interesting talk to someone with such an expansive perspective on higher education. Online education is the space they’re dipping their toes into whereas online is my everyday reality.”

Biggest Takeaways and Impact

Bringing back fresh perspectives and innovative strategies has allowed Katelyn to play a crucial role in amplifying UC’s impact and reach—but more importantly, it’s been key to her own development as a higher education professional.

As a self-proclaimed busy body, Katelyn has loved this opportunity to not only build her skills but also build relationships with others in the industry. “It’s important for us to communicate with other universities to have an idea of what’s going on out there,” she says. “Not just in a competitive way, but from a continuous growth mindset.”

Katelyn emphasizes that networking is a crucial part of professional development that it’s easy to miss out on. Through UPCEA, she’s made lasting connections and engaged more widely with the higher ed community as a whole—all while building her professional identity and discovering new career paths open to her!

UC Online and UCPEA—How You Can Get Involved

You may not be aware, but UC Online holds an institutional membership through UPCEA. That means that anyone on the UC Online team can get involved with this life-changing organization! This could be through the UPLIFT mentorship program, through virtual webinars and events, or even through attending the national conference.

“If you’re looking for a group that understands where you are and where you’ve been charged to go, then UPCEA is where they can see you,” Julie says. While there are many reasons to take advantage of all UPCEA has to offer, they all boil down to something simple: a commitment to learning every day, no matter where you are in your career.

“If I feel like I know everything at my job, then I need to go find something new to learn,” Katelyn says. To individuals who are on the fence about UPCEA, she adds, “If you’re looking to get more involved in higher ed at a broader level, this is a great way to dip your toes in and get engaged without a lot being required of you.”

To explore all that UPCEA has to offer, you can visit their website. We’re so proud of Katelyn and all the strides toward excellence she continues to make with UC Online!